Doppelgangers
by Usagibuffy
Summary: **Complete** There's a theory that everyone in the world has a twin, whether they know it or not. There are a couple of new kids on the block. A typical story line, but there's a twist.
1. The Newcomers

**Doppelgangers**

**Written by Megan Austinson **

**February – March 2003**

**Summary:**  There's a theory that everyone in the world has a twin, whether they know it or not.  There are a couple of new kids on the block.  A fairly typical story line, yes, but with a twist.

**Rating:** G. There's nothing bad in here.

**Author's Note:**  Look, look, I wrote another Outsiders fic!  The title of this story, "Doppelganger", is a German word meaning "double walker".  Basically, a doppelganger is someone unrelated to you who is identical to you, in looks at least.  Anything you've seen where there's an evil twin or something, that twin is a doppelganger.  There's an older Olsen twins movie, called "It Takes Two" in which the main characters are doppelgangers.  Got it? ^_^

Also, let me know if this is hard to follow.  I know I keep jumping around to different people's points of view, I'll try to keep it clear as to who is telling the story.

**Disclaimer:** The usual.  I'd have to be able to see into the past to own _The Outsiders,_ since it was written more than a decade before I was born.  The characters you recognize are S.E. Hinton's; Niko and Nina Thatcher are mine.  Don't sue me, I'm still a starving college student and musician who lives off the kitchen in her parents' house.  Here, have some top ramen.

**Chapter 1: The Newcomers**

**March 5, 2003******

_**Niko**_

I woke to find my little sister, Nina, asleep next to me, cuddled up against my side.  Her dark head rose and fell on my chest with the rhythm of my breathing.   The clock beside my bed read 6:00 am, earlier than either of us needed to be up.  It was Sunday, our third day in Tulsa.  Tomorrow we'd start school, Nina in the sixth grade at the elementary school, me a senior at the high school.

Somehow I managed to extract myself from my sister and stood, stretching.  The sun was already up, as it was the middle of March, and I could feel the warm spring sun streaming through the window.  After a quick check to make sure my aunt was still asleep, I went into the bathroom and quietly closed the door.  I studied my face in the mirror for a long moment, wondering what people saw when they looked at me.  High cheekbones, pointed chin, light blue eyes, and white-blond hair that hangs between my shoulders and my chin.  Mom always told me I looked like a mischievous little elf.  Or at least, she did when I was a kid. 

I stepped into the shower, closing my eyes as the warm water poured over my body.  I stayed in the shower just long enough to wash my hair and rinse the soap off the walls.  Carefully, I stepped out, making sure not to drip any water on the floor as I dried off and threw on a clean pair of jeans and a fresh t-shirt.  After brushing my teeth and combing my hair, I grabbed everything that was mine and opened the door to head back to me and Nina's room.

I was startled to find my Aunt Charlotte standing outside the bathroom door, looking angry.  "Nikolas Thatcher, what do you think you are doing?"

"I'm sorry, ma'am," I said, bowing my head and swallowing hard.  "I tried to be out before you got up…"

"Sorry isn't good enough," she said nastily.  "The deal is you and that little brat stay out of my way.  I don't want to know you're even here.  I took you in as a favor to my sister, that tramp."  Anger swelled in me, but I did not reply.  My mother's sister stood there, staring at me for a moment before pushing past me and into the bathroom.  The door slammed closed and I was alone in the hall.  With a sigh, I went back to my room, silently cursing my mother for the state she'd left us in.

When I entered the room, Nina was sitting up in my bed, hugging her knees to her chest.  She looked scared and sad, and I knew right away that she'd heard the conversation between my aunt and me in the hall.  Sitting on the bed, I pulled her against me and she leaned into my side.  We sat like that for a couple of minutes, comforting each other.

Nina was small and skinny, and looked younger than eleven.  I sometimes wondered how we could be related at all, given her dark looks.  Her skin was naturally a lot darker than mine, even more so when she was tanned from the California sun we'd left just a few days before.  Her black eyes matched her jet black hair, which she usually wore loose, hanging halfway down her back, thick and straight.

"Niko, why don't anyone want us?" she asked in a small voice, using the nickname my mother had called me by since I was born.  "Don't they like us?"

"They don't want to be burdened," I said lightly, ignoring her second question.  "Don't you worry though, in a couple months I'll graduate and then I'll get us a place of our own, just you and me."  Instead of smiling at the thought, she looked even sadder.

"It's my fault, isn't it."  It was a sad statement, not a question.  "I keep getting us into trouble.  It's my fault we got kicked out by Uncle Pete, and Aunt Mary, and Uncle Frank, and Grandmother Rose…"  I didn't know how to respond.  She was right, in a way.  See, Nina's not 'pure'.  She's half Mexican.  Mom's side of the family can't stand that she married a Mexican and had a kid with him, and so after they died, we got passed around like an unwanted piece of furniture.

"Look, little one," I said firmly, bending over so I could look right in her eyes.  "It ain't your fault that no one liked Mom and Dad getting married.  And it sure as hell ain't your fault that none of them can look past that and accept us.  So don't you go blaming yourself, you're not the one being an idiot here."  She nodded, then gave me a small smile.  I hugged her and told her, "Now get dressed.  I'm gonna go see what I can do about breakfast."

_**Pony**_

We were out on the porch, smoking and chatting, like old times. It was Sunday, so everyone was there.   I felt a twinge of sadness as I looked around at what was left of the gang: me, my brothers, Two-Bit and Steve.  We were it.  Two-Bit was busy cracking some joke when suddenly he let out a holler and turned swiftly.  A moment later he shoved a small figure onto the porch ahead of him, holding tightly onto the kid's wrist.

"Two-Bit?" Soda said, looking confused.

"This kid here was trying to swipe my blade," Two-Bit growled, shaking the kid slightly.  He winked at us, and I knew he was just trying to scare the kid.  From what I could see, it was working.

"You better leave me alone!" the kid squeaked, sounding scared.  "You hurt me an' I'll get my big brother to beat you up!"  He continued to make threats as he twisted and pulled, trying to get free of Two-Bit's grip.  He was pretty small, dressed in dirty jeans, a black t-shirt, and a jean jacket, with a baseball cap pulled low over his face.  I was pretty sure I hadn't seen him around before.

Just then the kid got loose, and tried to make a run for it.  Steve grabbed one of the kid's arms, and Two-Bit grabbed the other, trying not to hurt the kid even as he put up a fight.  In the midst of it all, the kid's hat got knocked off, letting locks of black hair tumble loose.  We all froze.

"Hey!" I exclaimed, the first to find my voice.  "He's a she!"

"Get your hands off her!" a voice yelled from the sidewalk.  The six of us turned to see a guy run up the front lawn.  He snatched the kid away from Steve and Two-Bit and shoved her behind him.  The guy, about seventeen years old, stood there, tensed, glaring at us, almost daring us to lay another hand on the girl.  My jaw dropped open when I looked at his face.

"D-Dally?" I managed, utterly and completely shocked.

A/N: Just a quick question for my readers: what's a beta?  Is that a proofreader?  If it is, I probably need one.  Any volunteers?  Email me or say something when you review.


	2. Ghosts of the Past

**Chapter 2:  Ghosts of the past**

**March  8**, 2003********

**By Megan Austinson**

A/N: Thanks to you guys who reviewed! This story is complete, I'm just putting it up a little at a time. I'm not even really sure how many chapters it'll be, cuz I haven't finished separating it out yet.

Disclaimer: The usual. Niko and Nina are mine, the plot is mine, the rest is not. Don't sue me, I have no money.

_**Pony**_

"D-Dally?" I managed, utterly and completely shocked.  The boy before us looked just like Dally, but without the cold, hard edge Dally always had.  This guy's hair was longer too, but the same color, and the face was the same.  I glanced at the rest of the gang, relieved to find that they looked just as surprised as I was.

"No," the guy said, shaking his head.  "My name's Niko.  What are you guys doing with my sister?"

"N-nothing, man," Two-Bit managed.  "She was trying to lift my blade, we was just trying to scare her."  The guy looked hard at Two-Bit, then turned on his sister.

"What the heck were you doing, Nina?  Trying to get yourself in trouble?"

"I was just looking for some fun," the girl pouted.  Niko stood in our way, blocking our view of his sister.  He looked at her for a moment, then we heard her sigh.

"Sorry," she mumbled, coming around him so we could see her.  That gave us our second big shock of the day.  Imagine Johnny when he was eleven or so, with hair hanging half way down his back and a girl.  That's what this girl looked like.  She was the spitting image of Johnny, just like her brother could have been Dally's twin.

"Um, sure, no problem," Two-Bit managed, still gaping.  Niko looked at us funny.

"You guys all look like you've just seen a ghost," he said, eyeing us strangely.  I'm sure we did.  Two ghosts, to be exact.

"So, you guys new around here?" Darry said after a pause.

"Yeah, I'm Niko Thatcher, this here's my sister, Nina.  We just moved in with my aunt up the street.  Are you guys okay?" he asked, still staring at us oddly.  Except for Darry, the rest of us were pale and wide-eyed, not knowing what to say.

"Yeah, we're fine," Steve said, pulling out a pack of cigarettes.  "Anyone want a weed?"  Even Soda took one as the pack went around, followed by a lighter.  Darry didn't, of course, and neither did this Niko guy.

"No thanks," he declined.  "We've got to be going home.  C'mon, Nina."  He grabbed the shoulder of the girl's jacket and began dragging her up the street after him.

"Bye!" the girl called cheerfully, waving at us.  Two-Bit half-heartedly waved back as we watched them go up the street.  We staggered into the house.  I barely made it to a chair before my knees gave out and I sat down heavily.  I was trembling, though not as bad as I had been before the cigarette.

"You okay, Pony?" someone asked, and I looked up to see Darry looking down at me worriedly.  I must have looked pretty bad, but to my surprise, Steve answered for me.

"Shoot, of course he's not okay!" he said angrily, combing a hand through his hair.  "Are he and I the only ones who noticed?  Geeze, it's not every day you meet two kids who look just like your dead friends."  Soda put a hand on his arm and I realized that tough old Steve was fighting back tears.  "Leave me alone," he muttered, wiping at his eyes.

_**Niko**_

School the next day was weird.  A first I thought the whispering and stares were because I was an unfamiliar face, but it soon became clear that was not the case.  The one word I kept picking up on was "Dally", the same name one of the guys on my block had called me the day before.  I figured if anyone knew what was going on, it would be one of them.  Most of them had seemed school aged, so I started searching the halls.

To my surprise, the one I came across first was the little one. I'd figured he would be over at the junior high, but here he was, books in hand.  I think I just about scared the wits out of him when I grabbed his arm and pushed him up against the wall in a less crowded corridor.

"Okay, what's going on?" I hissed at him.

"Wh-what are, are you t-talking ab-bout?" he stammered.  "I don't know nothing."

"Yeah, right.  Everyone keeps looking at me and whispering something about some guy called Dally.  You called me Dally yesterday.  Who is this Dally guy and what does he have to do with me?"  I noticed the kid flinched every time I said Dally.  Bad memories there, I guessed.

"He was a friend," the kid said, closing his eyes tightly.  "Just a friend.  You look like him is all."

"Uh huh," I said, still unconvinced.  "'Was' a friend?  What happened to him?"  The kid opened his eyes and glared at me.

"He's dead, okay?" he snapped at me.  "Now do you understand?"  Yeah, I understood now.  I let go of the kid and ran my hand through my hair.

"I'm sorry," I apologized, noticing how white the kid was.  "I didn't mean to scare you."

_**Pony**_

"You didn't scare me," I said automatically.  Dally's look-a-like stared down at me skeptically.  "Ok, so maybe you did," I admitted.  "A guy can't be too careful around here though, especially when he's a greaser.  I'm Ponyboy, by the way.  Ponyboy Curtis."  I waited for some odd remark about my name, but he just grinned.

"Nikolas Thatcher," he said.  "But like I said yesterday, everyone calls me Niko."  The warning bell for the next class rang, and Niko looked at his schedule.  "Hey, where is room 204?"

"Right next to room 203," I said with smirk.  Niko seemed unsure of how to respond, so I continued, "Which just so happens to be where my next class is.  Come on."

"So, aren't you too young to be going to school here?" he asked as we walked to our next classes.  I sighed.

"Skipped a grade in elementary," I explained shortly.  "I'm fourteen."

"Hmm," Niko responded.  "A sophomore then?"  I nodded.  "I'm a senior," he continued, "and I'm seventeen."

"Same age as Soda," I said without thinking.

"Soda?"

"My middle brother," I explained.  "You saw him yesterday, along with the rest of the gang.  Where are you and your sister from?" I asked him, trying to change the subject.  The smile dropped off his face.

"California," he answered in a tone of voice that made it clear he didn't want to discuss the move.  Luckily for him, we were at our classrooms with about a minute to spare.

"See ya around," I said as I walked into my English class.


	3. Attack of the Socs

**Chapter 3: Attack of the Socs**

**March 11, 2003******

A/N: Hey y'all. I apologize for the slow moving bit of the last chapter. This one should be a bit more exciting. ^_^ I do hope everyone is enjoying my story. I've already started working on a sequel, so if you're tired of Niko and Nina, you're going to see more of them. Hee hee hee, my muses have returned! ::starts petting muses:: Good muses, nice muses, no more abandoning me, 'k? Cabbages all around!

Oh, yes, and thanks to Rockabye and Aaliyah-Charity for your reviews on my second chapter!

Disclaimer: I'm still a poor student/musician living off of Top Ramen and Cup-o-Noodles. I don't own the Outsiders, so don't sue me, please!

_**Two-Bit**_

The next few weeks we saw Niko and his sister around some.  Niko seemed reluctant to talk to us much, plus he got a job, so he wasn't actually around that much.  His kid sister seemed to like us though; she frequently could be spotted watching us from up the street or actually coming up to us to talk.  That girl didn't have a shy bone in her body.

"Hey, kid," Steve asked one day when she had approached us in the lot, "don't you have any friends your own age?"  Nina shook her head.

"The boys won't play with me and the girls don't like me," she said cheerily.  It obviously didn't bother her much.  I could kind of see why though.  Nina was a total tomboy, always dressed in too big dirty jeans and a plain t-shirt.

"What do you do at school then?" I asked curiously.

"Read."

"Really?" Pony asked, sounding surprised.  "What's your favorite book?"

We'd lost them.  The two of spent the rest of the time chatting excitedly about books they'd read.  They only stopped when Niko came by and called for Nina to come home with him.  She reluctantly left, waving happily at us as she skipped up the street after her brother.

"What a weird pair," I said, shaking my head.

"Yeah," Pony said, rejoining us.  "I asked Nina why they'd moved here and she just said 'Because.'  She said her parents died a couple years ago, but she won't say how.  And Niko won't talk much about it either."

"You've talked to Niko much?" Steve asked, sounding surprised.  Pony shrugged.

"Just a bit, at school."

"They probably just don't like to talk to people they don't know well about it," Darry said sensibly.  "C'mon guys, it's getting cold."

_**Niko** _

In the couple of weeks that had passed since our arrival in Tulsa, Nina and I had more or less settled in.  I had found a job as a bag boy at a nearby grocery store, and Nina, I noticed, was making friends with the older boys in our neighborhood.

"Why don't you try making friends with some kids your own age?" I suggested one day as we walked home from the park.  She frowned.

"They don't like me," my kid sister said simply.  She hooked her thumbs in her pockets and slouched a bit, imitating the posture of every male non-Soc under the age of 25.

"Why not?"  She shrugged.

"The boys won't play with me 'cause I'm a girl, and the girls only want to play with dolls and play hopscotch and jump rope," Nina said passively.  "You know, girlie stuff."

I hid my smile.  Nina was definitely a tomboy, through and through.  Growing up, she had been my constant companion, since both our parents had to work and I was enough older to be trusted with watching her.  From the time she was three, Nina had accompanied me and my buddies on every adventure.  Consequently, she never played much with other girls.  Mom had given up buying Nina dresses by the time she was six.  Not that it mattered anymore; all the clothes Nina had now were hand-me-downs, either from myself or one of our two cousins, both of whom are boys.

"Besides," Nina continued, "the guys on our block are nice.  You should get to know them."  I shook my head.

"They act weird when I'm around," I said.  "You can hang out with them if you like, but don't bug them."

We were just a block away from the house when a white Corvair pulled up next to us.  I was instantly nervous, having overheard horror stories from other greasers at school.

"Be ready to run if I tell you to," I murmured to Nina.  She looked scared, but nodded her understanding.

"Dallas Winston, back from the dead," the guy in the passenger seat drawled, a dangerous tone to his voice.

"I ain't him," I said as I continued walking.

"Maybe not, but I figure you must be related to him somehow.  I owe him a few things and it looks like you get to take them for him."  The car stopped and that was all I needed to turn and tell Nina, "Run!"  She did, and for some reason, the Socs let her go.  I guess they didn't think there was anything she could do anyway, and I heard they don't usually beat up on little kids.  Five guys were out of the car in an instant, and I was quickly surrounded.

"Look, I don't know this Dallas guy," I tried.  The blow to my stomach was unexpected.  I bent over, clutching my now aching stomach.  Someone tried to knee me in the face, but I grabbed his leg and shoved him backwards.  Suddenly I had all five of them on top of me, fists swinging wildly.  I was knocked to the ground as I did my best to fight back.

My ears picked up on the sound of feet running towards us, and I assumed it was more Socs coming to join the fight.  _I'm gonna die, I thought, a bit surprised.  There was hollering and shouting as one by one the Socs were pulled off me.  Tires squealed as Nina's tear-stained face came into my field of vision._

"Niko, you okay?" she asked worriedly, voice steady despite the tears falling from her eyes.

"I've been better," I responded wryly, struggling to sit up.  Hands helped me into a sitting position.  I looked up at my rescuers and was somewhat surprised to see that I had been rescued by all three of the Curtises and their two friends.

"Hey, thanks guys," I said as Darry and Two-Bit pulled me to my feet.

"They were really whaling on you," Steve commented as the whole group started up the street.  I could tell that the whole thing had really scared Nina, since she was walking as close to me as she could without actually walking on top of me.

"They called him 'Dallas Winston'," Nina piped up.  I glared at her, willing her to keep her mouth shut.  She just glared right back at me.

"Well, if you're going to get jumped for looking like him, you may as well have his gang there to back you up," Two-Bit said easily.

"Yeah, good thinking kid, coming to get us," Soda told Nina.  My little sister grinned.

"Why don't you come inside to get cleaned up?" Darry invited when we reached their house.

"Sure," I said, realizing that my aunt would go nuts if I left so much as a speck of dirt in her bathroom.  Once we got inside, Darry pushed me to the bathroom, while Nina took off after Soda without a second glance, enticed by his offer of chocolate milk.

I did a double take when I looked into the mirror.  My face was banged up worse than I'd thought.  The area around my left eye was darkening, my lip had been split open, and I had a nasty looking scratch on my temple.  The rest of me was just as bruised.

After washing the blood off my face, I went back to the living room to find Nina sitting between Soda and Two-Bit on the couch, looking at pictures.

"Hey man, how ya doing?" Steve called from a chair on the other side of the room.

"I'll live," I responded with a wry grin.

"Niko!" Nina exclaimed, looking up.  "You've got to see these pictures, you really do look a lot like that Dally guy."  I took the picture she held out to me and almost laughed aloud.

It was a snapshot, obviously intended to be a fairly serious picture of the gang as it existed then.  However, someone must have said or done something funny, because they were all laughing.  It wasn't hard to pick out Dally, since I knew five of the guys and the other one didn't look a thing like me.  I had to admit that the remaining guy looked a bit like me, and I said so.

"You're crazy," Nina said, her attention still focused on the photos in her lap.  "He doesn't look 'a bit' like you.  You and him could be identical twins."  She studied the picture she held.  "'Cept he looks mean.  Hey, who's that?"


	4. Jumped Again

**Chapter 4: Jumped Again**

**March 15, 2003**

A/N: Thanks to MaverickGirl for being my _only_ reviewer last chapter. This one's got some more action, I hope y'all like it.  I do realize ff.net was having issues though, so I forgive you.

Disclaimer: Same old same old. Don't own it, yadda yadda yadda.

_**Darry**_

I craned my neck to see who Nina was pointing at.  My mom had taken the picture Nina held about two years ago, when we were all playing football in the lot.  Johnny had just tackled Pony and the two of them lay in a heap on the ground, laughing.

"That's Johnny," Soda said a bit sadly.  Nina was quiet for a moment, then said, "He looks kinda like me."  Niko looked at her picture, then back at the one he held.

"Yup," he agreed.  "Just older.  And a boy."  Then he looked up at us with a grin.  "No wonder you guys looked so freaked out the day we met you."

"Hey, we weren't freaked out," Steve defended us hotly.  "Just surprised is all."  Niko just grinned knowingly.

"Well, little one," Niko sighed, "we'd better get home and do our chores, or Aunt Charlotte will kill us."  Nina made a face.

"Do we hafta?" she whined in typical eleven-year-old fashion.  Niko just looked at her.  "Fine, fine," she huffed.  "Bye, guys."

Everyone said their goodbyes and the newcomers left.  Ponyboy turned to me after we heard them go down the stairs.

"This is too weird," he said seriously.  Soda nodded.

"Yeah," he agreed.  Soda is seldom serious, but right now was one of those times.

"We've got something to consider," Two-Bit said, drawing everyone's attention to himself.  "Are we gonna make them part of the gang?"

"Niko's okay," Steve said thoughtfully.  "I dunno about the kid though.  She doesn't seem like the type to keep her mouth shut."

"She's never had to," Pony pointed out.  "I bet she could learn."

"I like 'em."  That was Soda, blunt and honest.  They all turned to me.  As the oldest, I tended to be left with the final decisions.  I thought about it for a minute.

"Sure," I finally said.  "Let's give it a try."

_**Nina**_

"Can I get some popcorn?" I asked, tugging at my brother's sleeve.  The boys in our neighborhood who had chased the Socs off the other day had invited us to come to the movies with them.  Niko had agreed and off we went.  One of them, Two-Bit had steered us away from the main entrance, instead showing us a hole in the fence that he said they usually used to get in.

"Closer to the seats," he cheerily excused our sneaking in.  I slipped through easily, since I'm so small, but everyone else had to struggle through, especially the biggest one, Darry.  He was muttering the whole time about this not being right, but since everyone else was ignoring him, I did too.

"Sure," Niko finally answered, reaching for his pocket.  "Hey, where's my wallet?"  I couldn't help it.  I squirmed.  My big brother narrowed his eyes at me while the rest of the gang looked on curiously.  "Nina," my brother said warningly, holding out his hand.  I sighed and pulled the missing wallet from my pocket and dropped it in his hand.  I snuck a glance at the others, but they all looked pretty impassive.  Two-Bit cocked an eyebrow and I remembered that I'd been trying to steal his knife when we'd all met.

Niko just gave me a look before pulling out some money and handing it to me.  "Don't get into any trouble."

"I'll go with you," Ponyboy said suddenly, to everyone's surprise.  The two of us took off for the snack bar.

I was still trying to figure out how I felt about everybody.  Ponyboy was pretty nice, but he acted a little weird around me.  Niko says it's because he's used to being the baby and now I'm the baby.  I liked Two-Bit well enough, he was funny and smart and easy to like.  Soda was a bit on the wild side, and hyper.  Darry was hard to get to know, since he's hardly ever around and way older than me.  Older than Niko even, but Niko really seems to like him.  He says they have a lot in common.  And then there's Steve.  Niko may think I don't pay attention, but I can tell when someone doesn't like me, and Steve doesn't.  I can tell by the way he glares at me when I'm around, and I heard him muttered something about a tag-a-long before we left Ponyboy's house.

Pony kept glancing at me as we walked into the snack bar.  By the time we left with our sodas, popcorn, and a pack of M&M's hidden in my pocket, I was a little annoyed.

"What?" I snapped the next time he looked at me.  His ears turned pink.

"Sorry, it's just, well…"  He took a deep breath.  "It's just, Johnny was my buddy, my best friend, I was there when he d-died" – he nearly choked on the word – "and then you guys show up, and you look so much like him, and your brother looks like Dally, it's easy to forget sometimes that they're gone and with you around, it's like a constant reminder and I miss Johnny so much…"  Pony finally trailed off, looking miserable.  I slid my arm around his waist and gave him an awkward one armed hug.

"It'll get better," I said wisely, sounding old even to my own ears.  "How long did it take before you stopped being mad at Soda and Darry for looking like your parents?"  Ponyboy looked at me wide-eyed.  I'm sure he thought no one else would know about that.

"About five months," he answered glumly after a long pause.

"Lucky you," I said with a half-smile.  "I hated Niko for at least eight.  He doesn't look so much like Mom, but his eyes are hers."

"You're pretty smart for a little kid," Pony told me, eyes still wide.

"I know," I said easily, tossing my head.  He grinned just as we rejoined the others.

I shoved the popcorn and soda in Niko's hands before plopping down next to him and pulling out my M&M's.

"I know I didn't send you with enough money for all of this," he said skeptically, gesturing with the two containers I had given him.

"I know," I said tearing open the package.

"Nina," he sighed, but didn't continue.

"Geeze, kid, you must be good," Two-Bit said, sounding impressed.  "They really keep a close eye on everyone in there."  I shrugged.

"They were too busy watching the older kids to pay attention to me.  Besides," I added, tossing a candy into my mouth, "I'm a girl.  I can do no wrong."  The guys all laughed.

"Man, you sure figured that out quickly," Soda said with a grin.

Two hours later the movie was over and we were walking home.  Or rather, the guys were walking home.  Niko had offered a piggyback ride home, since I was more asleep than awake anyway.  He said it was just easier to carry me instead of trying to hold me upright the whole way home.  In my defense though, it was late, well after midnight.

Cars zipped past us on the road, but I paid no attention until a voice called out, "Hey, greasers."  I was suddenly wide awake and scared to death.  The gang stopped and turned, Niko carefully letting me slip to the ground as he turned.  He did keep a hand on me, though, keeping me somewhat out of sight behind him.

There were two dark colored cars, four guys in each, which meant they outnumbered us by two, since I didn't really count.  I wanted to run, but the guys were all holding their ground, so I did too.  Plus I couldn't remember how to get home from there.  The Socs piled out of the cars and were on us in a second, fists flying, people cursing and shouting.  I tried to stay out of the way, but there were two guys going after Pony and I had to do something.

I jumped on one guy's back and grabbed a fistful of his hair.  He let go of Ponyboy, who was still wrestling with the other one, and yanked me off his back.  I fought like a wildcat to get out of his grip, but he slugged me across my cheek.  God, that hurt.

I started screaming, so the Soc put a hand over my mouth.  I promptly bit him and he pulled the hand away, cursing at me.  Everyone else was busy with their own fights, I was on my own for now.  The Soc slipped an arm around my neck and lifted me off the ground, choking me.  I clawed at his arm, but all he did was wrap his arm around my waist, pinning my arms to my sides.  Bracing one foot against his thigh, I stuck my other foot between his knees and brought it up swiftly.  _Bingo! I thought gleefully as he groaned and dropped me.  We must have been closer to the street then I thought, because when he dropped me, my head hit the curb kinda hard.  I just laid there for a couple of minutes, watching the stars floating in front of my eyes, until someone pulled me to my feet._

"Hey, you okay?"  It was Darry.  I looked around to see Soda fussing over Ponyboy and Steve and Two-Bit helping my brother to his feet.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said, a bit giddy.  Darry let go of me and I almost fell over.  He caught me and scooped me up like I weighed nothing.

"Let's get you home," he said.  

"You must be Superman," I responded as though that were there right thing to say.  Things were a little fuzzy and I couldn't think straight.  Darry grinned at me.  I settled in for the ride, and next thing I knew, I was waking up in somebody's bed.


	5. What's Your Story?

**Chapter 5: What's Your Story?**

**March 18, 2003******

A/N: Thanks for the reviews, I feel loved again!  I discovered this story has six chapters, so there's only one left.  Enjoy!

Disclaimer: As always, not mine.

_**Nina**_

It was pretty late on Sunday morning.  I was lying on a bed in a room I didn't recognize.  Niko was sprawled out beside me, sound asleep, wearing only his jeans.  He looked pretty bad, what with one side of his chest covered with a purple bruise, a swollen black eye, and a long cut across one cheek.

Trying not to wake him, I crawled off the bed and left the room.  I padded down the hallway in my socks, surprised to find that I was at the Curtis's house.  In the living room, Two-Bit was sprawled out on the sofa and Steve was curled up in a chair, both of them also looking pretty beat up but sound asleep all the same.  _Funny, I thought, _I haven't seen any Curtises yet.__

Darry, as it turned out, was in the kitchen, using a wooden spoon to stir something in a mixing bowl.

"Hi!" I greeted cheerfully, hopping up on the counter.  Darry looked at me, seeming surprised to see me.

"Hey, munchkin," he returned, looking me over carefully.  "How're you feeling?"  I thought that question over for a minute, remembering last night's events.

"Pretty good," I finally decided, grinning.  "My head hurts though."  He gave me one of those 'No, really?' looks that big brothers do so well.

"I'm not surprised," Darry said, turning back to his mixing bowl.  "Your head connected pretty hard with the curb last night.  You fought real good though, especially considering it was your first fight and all."  He smiled at me and I smiled back.

"What are you making?" I asked, charging the subject as he poured a dark brown mixture into a round pan.

"Chocolate cake," he answered, sticking the pan in the heated oven.  Darry handed me the bowl and began gathering what he needed to make the icing.

"Why?" I asked, running my finger along the inside of the bowl, then licking it clean.

"For breakfast."  My mouth dropped open.

"Breakfast?" I sputtered.  "You guys have chocolate cake for breakfast?"

"Almost ever day," he responded good naturedly.

"Wow," was all I could think of to say.  Luckily, Soda chose that moment to make his entrance, yawning and stretching.

_**Soda**_

I was still half asleep when I entered the kitchen to find Darry baking a cake and Nina sitting on the counter, licking the mixing bowl.

"Hi guys," I mumbled through a yawn.  Nina waved at me with batter covered fingers while Darry kind of nodded at me without taking his eyes from the frosting.  Watching Nina attack the mixing bowl, I came to the conclusion that she really didn't have any need for sugar.  She was practically bouncing off the walls already.

"Nice shiner, kid," I remarked sleepily.  She cocked her head sideways, a confused look in her eyes.

"Black eye," Darry supplied, noticing her confusion.

"Black eye?!" Nina squeaked, dropping the mixing bowl.  She jumped down from the counter and raced out of the room.  Darry chuckled.

"How're you feeling, little buddy?" he asked, finally looking at me.

"I'll live," I replied, grinning at him.  "How'd you sleep?"  Darry had spent the night on my old bed, which we'd unburied in the middle of the night so Niko and Nina could have his bed.

"Like a log," he answered with a wry grin. Nina bounced back into the room and onto the counter, fingering her eye.

"I've never had a black eye before," she told us, looking awed.  Darry and I laughed.

"Makes you look tough," I told her, and she grinned.  Before long, the cake was ready and the three of us sat down to eat it.  One by one the rest of the gang joined us.  Niko was the last to get up, yawning and stretching as he entered the kitchen.  He looked confused as he stood there, blinking.

"Is that chocolate cake?  How long did you guys let me sleep?  What time is it?"

"Almost ten," Two-Bit supplied before cramming another bite in his mouth.  Niko looked even more confused.

"And you're having chocolate cake for breakfast?"

"They say they have it every morning," Nina said through a mouthful of cake.  Niko looked at us like we were crazy for a moment, then sighed and took a seat.

"Pass me a plate," he said, sounding resigned.

_**Darry**_

Somehow I ended up washing the dishes, despite having been the one to make breakfast.  To my surprise, Niko offered to help, saying it was the least he could do since we'd let him and Nina stay the night.  Everyone else 

"So, what's your story?" I asked as I scrubbed at a plate.  Niko looked at me oddly.

"My story?" he asked.

"Yeah, you know, how you got to be where you are now," I clarified.  I was curious about the whole deal with him and Nina, but he was quiet.

"The five of us have grown up here," I started, hoping if I told him about us, he'd tell me about them.  "My parents died in a car accident about a year ago, and I've been raising Pony and Soda ever since."  I was quiet for a moment, remembering.  "I almost lost them during the whole mess that went down a few months ago."

"My parents are dead too," Niko finally offered bitterly.  "My real father died when I was a baby, and my mom remarried almost immediately.  My step-dad was a nice guy, I mean, he helped my mom raise me and all.  When I was six they had Nina.  

"Two years ago someone broke into our house and shot them both.  The police never figured out who did it.  Since then, Nina and I have been bounced around our mother's relatives, none of whom want to take us, because for one thing, they disowned Mom when she married Nina's father, and for another thing, Nina's a halfie and they're all pretty racist."

I was stunned.  It sounded like life had been pretty rough for them so far.  Plus, I don't think I'd ever heard Niko say so much at once.

"A halfie?" I asked carefully, keeping my attention focused on the pan I was scrubbing.

"You know, a half-and-half."  I was still confused.  Niko sighed.

"Don't you guys have Mexicans out here?  Nina's dad was Mexican, our mom was white.  That makes Nina a halfie and the entire family social outcasts."

"I'm sorry," I said after a minute.

"Yeah, so am I," he responded sourly.  We were both quiet for a couple minutes, lost in our own thoughts.

"Hey, wait," I said as a thought suddenly occurred to me, "if Nina's dad was Mexican, how can her last name be Thatcher?"

"Mom gave us both her maiden name as our last names.  She figured it would be easier on Nina and me to have the same name."

"Oh."  We were quiet again.  "How long are you gonna be here?" I asked.

"Dunno.  When I graduate in a few months, Nina and I are officially on our own."

"That's rough," I remarked.  "Well, if either of you ever need a place to crash, our door is always open."  I grinned at him.  "Literally.  We never lock the doors."  It took a minute, but finally he returned the grin and talk turned to less serious subjects as we finished the dishes.


	6. The Way Things Were Meant to Be

**Chapter 6: The Way Things Were Meant to Be**

**March 22, 2003******

**By Megan Austinson**

A/N: Yup, it's the end. I hope y'all have enjoyed this story. I realize it's pretty short, hopefully the next one will be longer. I am working on a sequel that'll take them on an adventure out of Tulsa, but it'll be a while. Thank you for reading my story!

Disclaimer: Niko and Nina are all I own.  Here, go distract yourself by playing with my kitty.  Watch out, he's sharp!

_**Steve**_

I was bored.  School had let out a little while earlier and for once, I wasn't scheduled to work at the DX that day.  Two-Bit had disappeared, so I decided to head over to the Curtis's house, even though I knew nobody'd be there.  Darry and Soda were at work and Pony had a track meet or something.  Niko had mentioned something about working too.

Which is why I surprised to find Nina sitting on the front steps, crying.  To be honest, I almost decided to turn around and leave, since I wasn't real happy about her constantly hanging around the gang, but I couldn't just leave the kid there crying.  Her dark head was buried in her knees, so she didn't see me approach.  When I put my hand on her shoulder, she flinched, an unusual reaction for the usually hyper and happy girl.

"What happened, kid?" I asked softly.  It took a while, but I finally found out that Nina had come home after school to find her aunt there, hopping mad.  Seems that some little trinket was missing and Nina got blamed.

"I didn't take it, I swear," Nina cried, burying her face into her hands.  I didn't know what to do.  It was obvious she hadn't taken it though.  Nina was honest to a fault.  Sure, she liked to swipe things, but if asked about it, she'd immediately fess up.

"And then what happened?" I coaxed.  Nina lifted her head.

"And then she whipped me!" the kid wailed.

I was suddenly assaulted by the memory of Johnny, the first time his dad really beat him.  The same face, the same tear-filled eyes sitting on the same porch steps.  Johnny'd only been six or seven at the time, but the sentiment was the same; neither one could believe that someone from their own family would hurt them like that.

Johnny had lost his innocence at seven.  Nina was losing hers now.

While all of this was running through my head, Nina had scooted over next to me and was now leaning against my side.  She'd mostly stopped crying, just sniffled now and then.

"Shoot, kid," I sighed, "unfair as it is, this stuff happens.  You just gotta roll with it and get back up again."  She was quiet.  "Hey, let's go get some ice cream."  Nina sat up and looked at me curiously.

"Ice cream?"

"Yeah, it's good for this sort of thing."

I must have lost my mind.

It was getting dark by the time we made it back.  As we walked up the street, I could see lights on in the house and knew most, if not all, of the gang would be home.  Funny how I thought of Soda's house as home.

We were almost in front of the house when Nina grabbed my arm.  I looked down and was surprised to see how worried she looked.

"Don't tell Niko," she pleaded with me.  "He'll do something stupid if he finds out."  I was inclined to agree with her.  I'd seen the fury in Niko's eyes when he even thought about someone hurting his sister.  It made him look even more like Dally.

I nodded.  "Sure, kid.  Your secret's safe with me."  She grinned.

_**Soda**_

It was pretty quiet at home, if you don't count how loud the TV was.  Pony was curled up in a chair, buried in a book, while Darry was in the kitchen, cooking dinner.  Two-Bit and I were just sitting on the couch, watching TV, when the front door swung open.  I looked up, expecting to see Steve, and was surprised to find he had Nina with him.

"Let me guess," Two-Bit said with a grin, "ice cream at the drugstore?"  Steve looked surprised until Two-Bit pointed at Nina.  The brown stain down the front of her t-shirt made it clear Nina favored chocolate.

"Ice cream melts fast," she explained lamely, turning pink.  She dashed into the kitchen, presumably to see what Darry was up to.  Pony turned back to his book and pretended to read while Two-Bit and I stood and walked over to Steve.  He glared at us as we circled him.

"Got a new girl, huh, Steve?"  Two-Bit teased, grinning.

"Tsk, tsk, what are we gonna tell Evie?" I added jokingly.

"Aw, shaddup," Steve growled.  He turned and left the house, slamming the door behind him.  Two-Bit and I looked at each other, confused.  He shrugged and went back to the couch while I did what all good best friends would do.  I went outside to find Steve.  He hadn't actually left.  I found him sitting on the steps, smoking.

"Sorry we made you mad," I said simply, dropping down beside him. He shrugged.

"I ain't mad, really," Steve said, trying to sound as though he didn't care.  "Look, I found her on the front steps.  She was upset, I talked to her, she was still upset, so I took her to get ice cream.  I didn't know what else to do, I haven't been around kids much."  He was quiet for a minute.  "I've never been needed by no one," he finished in a voice so soft I almost didn't hear him.

"Hey, man, you are needed," I told him firmly.

"Not like she needed me today," he responded.  "It's nice to be needed."  We sat in silence for a while, each lost in our own thoughts.

_**Pony**_

A few more weeks passed.  It was Sunday night, and as usual, the whole gang was over at our house.  Niko had joined Soda and Steve in a rather noisy game of poker around the coffee table.  Two-Bit sat next to Nina on the couch, discussing the finer points of Mickey Mouse.  _This feels right_, I thought to myself as I stood in the kitchen doorway, looking around the room.

"What feels right?"

I jumped and turned to find Darry in the kitchen behind me.  "Sorry," he said.  "Didn't mean to startle you."

"It's okay," I said a bit awkwardly, hoping he would forget what I had apparently said aloud.

"What feels right?" Darry asked again.  Darn, I was going to have to answer.

"Just, well, this," I tried to explain, blushing as I turned back to the doorway.  "There's seven of us again.  The gang hasn't felt right since we lost Johnny and Dally, and right now it feels complete."  Darry was silent and I wondered if I'd managed to explain it right.  Then Darry's arm slipped across my chest and he pulled me towards him until my back was resting against his chest.

Squeezing me lightly, he said, "I know what you mean.  We've even got our pet."  As he said this, Nina smacked Two-Bit on the arm for suggesting that Mickey would get by just fine without Minnie.  Darry and I laughed.  This was the way things were meant to be.


End file.
